Combination lamp and sign.



J. D. STEWARD. COMBINATION LAMP AND SIGN. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 11, 1909.

Patented Apr.'25, 1911.

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m m m w w J. D. STEWARD. COMBINATION LAMP-AND SIGN. APPLIGATION FILED NOV.11,1909.

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' numbers may readily be altered and differsired form and structure having an open front side for the passage of light, and also This bracket 8 is adapted to be mounted on 1E SAT s PATT orator.

JON DEAN STEWARD, 0F ATLANTA GEORGIA.

COMBINATION LAMP Ann SIGN.

Specification of Letters iatent.

Patented Apr.- 25, 1911.

Application filed November'll. 19 09. Serial No. 527,489.

T 0 all whom ii may concern:

Be it knownthat I, JON DEA-N S'rnwann, a citizen of the United States, residing at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combination Lamps and Signs, ofwhich the following is a specification. 7 I

As is'ivell known, itis now almost the universal rule to require lamps on the rear ends of automobiles and similar self-propelled vehicles, and to likewise compel the owners latter are ordinarily not clearly dist uishable at night, and' many automot: ts so locate the identifying means that he light from the rear lamp will not clearly display the same.

The primary object of the present. invention is to provide'a combined tail or rear lamp and identifying or indicating means so arranged that the latter will always be clearly illuminated by the former, and thus make said identifying means clearly distinguishable at night. I

A further and important object is to so construct the identifying vmeans that the cut combinations easily produced.

Still another and important object is to provide means, whereby a plurality of numbers or signs can be carried and all brilliantly illuminated.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure ,1 is a view in elevation of the ap paratus. Fig. 2 is a plan view of-the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal. sectional view through theclosure for. the lamp body. Fig. 4 is a sectional View at right angles to Fig. 3, on the line 4-l of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view illustrating :a simple means for retaining an indicatingsign in one of the side holders. F igl 6 is a view in elevation of a modified form of side sign.

Similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

.In the embodiment disclosed, a lamp casing 7 is employed that may be of any dehaving a bracket 8 secured to its rear side.

a suitable standard 9 carried by the auto mobile, and the bracket is provided with a inset bead 13 terminating in a flange 14.

Secured within the rim is a strip15 that is spaced from the flange 14, forming seats for the reception of transparent sheet sections 16. These sections detachably fit between the flange l-ft and strip15, and preferably have abutted beveled edges 17., They are provided with indicating characters 18. The flange 14 and strip 15 are clamped upon the marginal portions of the sheetsections 16 by suitable bolts 19 that pass through the parts. It will therefore be clear that the lamp besides acting as a signal at the rear end of an automobile, also constitutes an indicator which will display the number or clamping screw 10, in order that the lamp other identifying mark of the machine, andform of bulls eyes 20 and the bracket 8 has sockets 21 to rotatably receive the downturned ends 22 of supporting arms 23 that extend outwardly on opposite sides of the lamp case. The arms'are normally held against swinging movement andin different adjusted positions by set ,screws 24. The outer ,ends of these arms are also downturned, as shown at 25, and tag holders 26 have at their ends integral sleeves 27 that are rotatable upon said downturned ends 25. Set screws 28 serve to maintain the holders 26 in'difierent adjusted positions. These holders may be of various. types, but in the preferred embodiment, they are in the form of plates having upper and lower flanges 29, forming guideways, into which the tagsor signs 30 may be slipped, pins 81 passing downwardly through the flanges attheir outer ends, constituting retaining means forthe tags or cards.

In the embodiment disclosed in Fig. 6 a

slightly modified form of construction isillustrated. In this embodiment, the'armis I indicated in dottedlines at 23, and mounted on its downturnedend 25 is the eye'32 of a supporting stem 33. The card -.or tag 34 is.

provided with hanger loops 35 that are engaged with. the stem. ,With thisconstruc- 'tion,"as shown in Fig. 1, the threesigns or spirit or scope of the invention.

tags can be readily seen by any one in rear of the machlne, 1t of course being understoocltha't thedesignations 18 and sections 16 are of different colors. Furthermore, the

three tags will 'he completely illuminated,

the center one being the brightest, and indieating the domicile of the owner of the machine. The two side tags can be adjusted in order that .they may be properly illumi nated. I v

It will be apparent that the invention as above described possesses many advantages and'is susceptible of embodiment in various modifications without departing from the As indicated, the distinguishing object of this invention is to provide a combined tail, lamp and illuminated numberde'yice displaying the required-color tail light, with one set of 'numbers in a contrasting color on the face or door of the lamp, in combination with detachable and adjustable supporting arms or brackets for displaying a second and third set of numbers, said auxiliary or supplemental sets of numbers or signs being so supported by said supporting. arms or bracketsas to receive the rays of light emitted from the bulls eyes at the sides of the lamp, thus mak-' ing all of the license 'numbers or signs readily and conspicuously distinguishable.

Atthe same time, the numbers of the signs areobviorisly readily readable in the clay- Also, it- Will be understood, that these glass. sections can be readily removed and replaced-J Furthermore, the invention can be associated with lamps manufactured to use comprising a frame and transparent sheet supporting thelamp body, oppositely ex- I any illuminant, -such as oil,'gas, or equiva: lent, and it will be generally understood that various changes in the minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope ofthe appended claims without departing 56 from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, f a what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 1 60 1. In a combined lamp and sign, the combin-ation with a lamp body. hav1ng an open front and side light-emitting means, a clo sure for the open front of the lamp bodyhaving', a transparent sign, a bracket for-supporting the lamp body, and side signs having supporting members supported from I said bracket, said side signs being disposed across the path of rays from the side light emitting means and also arranged to be seen from the front of the lamp. 2'. In a structure of the character described, a lamp. case having an open front, and a closure for the front including a frame that fits. upon the case and includes clamping strips, a series of transparent sheet sections fitted in the frame between the strips and having beveled abutted edges. said sheet sections having designating characters thereon, and. means for" clamping the strips upon the margins of the sheet sections.

3. In a structure of' the character described, the combination with a lamp body having an open front and side light-emit ting means, of a closure fortheopen front sections clamped-in ,the frame and ha ing designating characters thereon, a bracket for tending arms rotatably mounted on the 'bracket, and signs rotatably mounted at' their inner ends on thearms and disposed in the light from the side light-emitting means.

v Inv testimonywhereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two ,WHDBSSGS.

JON DEAN. STEWARD.

Witnesses i 'O. (iv-FULLER,

W. CARTER. I 

